B.C. sends out calls to clean-up Britannia Mine site

The province of B.C. has issued a request for expressions of interest to clean up contaminated water at the Britannia mine site. The request is seeking firms interested in providing proposals to design, build finance and operate the acid-water treatment plant at the former copper mine near Squamish.
The mine was once the largest copper mine in the British Commonwealth and has been a major source of pollution in Howe Sound since it closed in the mid-1970s. The site discharges over 600 kilograms of heavy metals every day.
"Cleaning the mine water at the old Britannia Mine site will have enormous benefits for the water quality in Howe Sound," said Stan Hagen, Minister of Sustainable Resource Management.
The province, he said, is looking for "a forward-looking partner who has the expertise to tackle this head on."
Proposals will be assessed based on the proponent’s qualifications, experience, use of demonstrated innovative technology and financial capacity, said a press release from the Ministry.
The timeline is to have formal requests for proposals issued by April 2004, with design and construction under way by fall next year.
Visit www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca, www.britanniamine.ca.